Air rage duo 'innocent'

Exclusive by Mike Keegan

August 04, 2008

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Leanne Connor and Lynette York

TWO women from Salford who caused a holiday jet to make an emergency landing amid claims they tried to open a door at 30,000 feet have protested their innocence.

Leanne Connor, 26, and Lynette York, 27, were arrested in Germany after the pilot diverted their flight from Greece to Manchester.

German police had said that they were drunken and abusive towards staff and tried to open a cabin door.

But speaking from the street in Salford where they both live the pair claimed the incident had been `blown out of all proportion'.

Lynette admitted that they may have been a `little bit loud'.

But she added: "We did apologise and we're genuinely sorry if we upset anyone. But we never put anyone's life in danger or did any of the things that have been reported. We're just two girls who went away for a week and had a few drinks on a plane."

The office worker added that reports in a newspaper that they had been on a boozy week-long bender with a group of 18 lads were wide of the mark.

"That group included two of my cousins and we bumped into them," she said. "But we went out with them once. In fact we only went out twice the whole week - people were calling us boring."

Mum-of-two Leanne said that things started to get heated shortly after take-off at 2.30pm from the island of Kos.

"Lynette was playing music on her mobile for about two minutes and the woman next to her asked her to turn it off which she did," she said. "We'd bought a bottle of vodka and were just having a drink and chatting.

Obnoxious

"Lynette sprayed some perfume and the woman said it was giving her kids a headache. Then a steward came and asked for the vodka. We'd paid for it and he was obnoxious so we said no.

"Later another steward came and asked us nicely for it so we handed it over. But the next thing we know someone is saying we've been diverted to Frankfurt and we were going to be chucked off.

"I got up to find out what was going on because I knew my kids would be at the airport waiting for me with my boyfriend and I was worried but they wouldn't listen.

"But I never went near a door. I wouldn't put my own life at risk - let alone anyone elses.

"We landed in Germany, were breathalysed and interviewed and freed within two hours - we can't have been that much of a threat."

The pair had to stay overnight in a Frankfurt hotel and pay more than £1,000 for flights home.

They now face an anxious wait to learn their fate.

Lynette said: "We've been made out to be this pair of slappers who went away for a boozy week and caused a load of trouble but that's just not us. I've got to go in work and I'm dreading it."

Leanne added: "My kids think I'm famous but it's been awful. I just wish it was all over."

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Manchester Dale, Manchester (04/08/2008 at 07:01)

And the captain of a plane made a decision to waste thousands of pounds on making a diverted landing for no reason? Come on ladies - people are not stupid.

Our booze culture is out of hand. I doubt they will have learned their lesson. Until the airline wins their case for compensation for the losses they incurred.

And going on holiday and leaving her kids. Do people really do things like that?

Johnny (04/08/2008 at 07:12)

was it a thompson flight? If it was I had similar treatment some time ago.

Si B1 (04/08/2008 at 08:27)

These two are clearly models for society...

The stewards, the pilot the police, they must have all surely got it wrong.

Audenshaw Bob (04/08/2008 at 08:41)

''My kids think I'm famous but it's been awful''

Famous for waht? Leaving your kids at home while you go away on holiday (which is wrong to do) and causing a jet to be diverted because of your drunken behaviour.

The said that they were just having a few drinks on a flight. On a short flight I may have a couple of beers at most. I don't really see the point of getting leathered on a plane and I know that you can't open your duty free on it so if I was asked not to drink from it (whether politely or obnoxiosly) I would do as I was told becuase I know that I am in the wrong and had been caught out.

I flew a few months back and there was a family of four at the terminal at Ringway. The Dad and his son had sahved hair and earings, the mother and daughter peroxide blond hair and tattoos and they all had England tops on. The children were just wandering round whilst Mummy and Daddy were getting stuck into beer and vodka chasers. Not bad going for 6am.

We've got a lot of people like these two women who say 'we were only having a few drinks on a plane'. Now from what you see on these charters it is binge drinking. Why the need?

The trouble is half this people can't see that what they are doing is wrong.

Pete (04/08/2008 at 08:43)

Classy!

The Cloggy (04/08/2008 at 08:48)

Dale, you mention going away without your kids; I thought the very same thing!

'Leaving your children behind to go on a boozy package holiday'.

Their passports should be revoked. No messing. They have proved they can’t behave in a decent manor and they were a safety risk whilst traveling.

More headlines about the behavior of the 'great unwashed' whilst full of booze.

Great eh?

Guten Tag (04/08/2008 at 09:27)

A plane doesn't divert, waste fuel, delay further flights and mess up pilot schedules for no reason! These two 'ladies' should reflect on their behaviour and maybe realise they they are totally to blame for causing trouble and scaring other passengers. Or are they infected with the 'it's not my fault, it wasn't me' culture that seems to have spread everywhere within society? I hope they are hit hard with costs and teach them a lesson.

BE REAL (04/08/2008 at 09:28)

I work with Lynette and can confirm that she is talking complete rubbish. She is very wild and has been told on more than one occasion to tone her wild ways down. It does not surprise me that she has attempted to open the doors of the plane,

lynette sort yourself out hun before its too late

A Manc and blue (04/08/2008 at 10:04)

" "We'd bought a bottle of vodka and were just having a drink and chatting.

If that bottle was bought at the duty free then it is an offence to open it up on the plane before clearing UK customs. Why dont they just put there hands up and admit to there mistake

chris (04/08/2008 at 10:09)

Classy girls. There is nothing like enforcing a stereotype.

Tel, Middleton (04/08/2008 at 10:14)

These women are just so typical of the "what have I done wrong"? selfish, `laddette` culture. I despair of this country, and the way it is going. They should serve a term in prison, and be banned from flying for life.

dessie, manchester (04/08/2008 at 10:14)

i hope they throw the book at these kind of people they spoil flights for good honest quiet people!!

Come-On-City. Manchester, now Paris, France. (04/08/2008 at 10:39)

"we just had a few drinks"

By drinking a BOTTLE of vodka?

Classy Ladies.

Helzibob (04/08/2008 at 11:09)

Thank you BE REAL for confirming what we all knew. How these woman can claim to be innocent I don't know. I hope they are made to pay back the costs of the flight diverting to Germany, the landing fee's are bound to be a substatial amount on their own.

ace, manchester (04/08/2008 at 11:09)

Why is it always somebody elses fault? typical idiots excuse when they are caught.I just hope they throw the book at them and give them a year in prison for putting peoples lives at risk in the air.

Pandora (04/08/2008 at 11:48)

Make no mistake, there are obnoxious cabin crew, who seem to think that all the passengers are low-lifes. I find this particularly with the male crew, especially the ones that are a little light in the loafers.

Bejjy ex Salford now Malta, Malta (04/08/2008 at 12:00)

You can take the girls out of Salford but you can't take Salford out of the girls.

Audenshaw Bob (04/08/2008 at 12:02)

''I got up to find out what was going on because I knew my kids would be at the airport waiting for me''

So what kind of state would Mummy be in when she arrived back home if she's been at the duty free vodka on the flight?

Most people don't get paraletic on flights, most people don't swear loudly in front of others let alone other people's children, most people don't go off on holiday without their family, most people don't cause a plane to divert.

These two should be keeping under the radar and let it blow over, not getting in the paper portraying themselves as the victims.

Do people have no shame any more? Can't they see that they are wrong on many counts?

The Cloggy (04/08/2008 at 12:02)

Some interesting comments.

Especially regarding the boozing at airports.

I home fly once every two weeks, it is amazing when you see how many are boozing in the very early hours. It is the mentality of the 'holiday starts here’ and as one poster commented and it usually starts 6.30am!

I also have to agree; embarrassingly it is usually the 'same type' too.

Also, when a flight is delayed because a passenger is late, why is it always the 'same type' that trapes on to the plane late?

By the same type I am referring to the usual. Shaven headed blokes in football shirts or track suits, heavily bejeweled (Elizabeth’s Dukes finest), tattooed and usually sporting a beer-gut. Their 'other half' dressed in similar attire with usually a bigger-beer gut, however, she will be armed with a word search, a copy of Hello/Ok magazine and an autobiography of some B-List celeb 'slapper'!

They will also be reeking of booze!

Call me a 'snob' (I am not though) but I just can’t take an Easy-Jet flight or a package holiday any more because of these people.

When you travel on a scheduled 'flag carrier' or independent airline you just don’t seem to get this sort of behavior unlike a chartered package deal.

rugbygirl (04/08/2008 at 12:12)

So they opened a bottle of vodka from the duty free on the plane - they sprayed perfume and they were playing music on their mobile - all of which is highly annoying, most of which is not allowed. I would never dream of going on holiday without my child and think these two definatly need to grow up! Make them pay the costs of diverting the plane and revoke the passports- that should teach them!

chan (04/08/2008 at 12:24)

As for you BE REAL you dont need to be writing comments on the internet, you work with Lynette so i think it would be better if you discus it face to face if you realy think she is that loud.. And common BE REAL We live in Salford,, And for the rest of you out there passing jugment you was not on that flight an have got no right to comment on what sort of person Lynette is,, As she has already apologised for what she has done which isn't half of what the newspapers have said!!!!

Big Chris, At His Big Desk (04/08/2008 at 12:25)

Whilst I agree that a plane doesn't just divert to another airport over something trivial and shomething should definately be done about it I think a few people need to get off their high horses here. Audenshaw Bob, you mention a stereotypical family of 'skinheads' having a drink at 6am in the airport terminal yet you also mention you have drinks on the plane yourself? What's the difference? Did the skinheads cause any trouble? I'm not defending anyone and I totally agree that anti-social behaviour is a huge problem in this country but some people really do need to stop listening to the daily mail so much

Blip, Manchester (04/08/2008 at 12:27)

If they were such angels, then why were the rest of the people on the plane cheering when they were offloaded? Sorry 'ladies' but I don't believe a word you say. You are an air traveller's nightmare, and I hope they throw a very heavy book at you.

Pink Final Postbag, North Devon (04/08/2008 at 12:59)

What's wrong with airlines these days? you can't even open the doors at 40,000 feet whilst bladdered. Bring back the old days.

A Realist, Manchester (04/08/2008 at 13:02)

I was stuck on a plane to the Dominican Republic and a scally family started drinking as soon as the plane took off, rowing, shouting, the pilot announced over the tannoy that people should not drink any booze that was brought with them, but they kept on drinking. It ended up a right shouting match and the father got took off by armed police when we landed, thank god we never had to divert as that would have spoilt the holiday for everyone.

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